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Bow vs Bower - What's the difference?

bow | bower |

In context|nautical|lang=en terms the difference between bow and bower

is that bow is (nautical) the front of a boat or ship while bower is (nautical) a type of ship's anchor, carried at the bow.

As nouns the difference between bow and bower

is that bow is a weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows or bow can be a gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist or bow can be (nautical) the front of a boat or ship while bower is a bedroom or private apartments, especially for a woman in a medieval castle or bower can be a peasant; a farmer or bower can be either of the two highest trumps in euchre or bower can be (nautical) a type of ship's anchor, carried at the bow or bower can be (obsolete|falconry) a young hawk, when it begins to leave the nest.

As verbs the difference between bow and bower

is that bow is to play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow or bow can be to bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference while bower is to embower; to enclose.

bow

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) boga, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
  • A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow ).
  • A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
  • A stringed instrument, similar to the item described above.
  • A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.
  • Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
  • * Bible, Genesis ix. 13
    • I do set my bow in the cloud.
  • The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
  • Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
  • (nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
  • (saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
    • Synonyms
    * (bow-shaped bend) arc, bend, curve * (tool for playing stringed instruments) fiddlestick
    Derived terms
    * bow and arrow * bowman * bowmanship * composite bow * compound bow * crossbow * longbow * oxbow * rainbow * shortbow * bow tie

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow.
    • The musician bowed his violin expertly.
  • To become bent or curved.
    • The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
  • To make something bend or curve.
  • * Milton
    • We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
  • * Prescott
    • The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
  • (figurative) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
  • * Fuller
    • not to bow and bias their opinions
  • To premiere.
    • Cronenberg’s "Cosmopolis" bows in Cannes this week.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen, Danish bue.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
    • The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said, "Follow me and I will show you your room."
  • * , chapter=4
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
  • (transitive, and, intransitive) To debut.
  • * 2010 (publication date), Kara Krekeler, "Rebuilding the opera house", West End Word , volume 39, number 26, December 22, 2010 – January 11, 2011, page 1:
    • SCP recently announced that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will bow on the newly renovated stage next December.
  • To defer (to something).
    • Derived terms
    * bow down * bow out * bow and scrape * take a bow

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist.
    • He bowed politely as he entered the room.
  • A debut
    • The new product will make its bow on the world market this summer.
  • * {{quote-journal, 1832, , Literary Notices, The Rail-Road Journal citation
    • , passage=The first named one, it will be observed, is but a debutant. It makes its bow in a drab-colored Quaker-looking dress, and barring a lively McGrawler-like critique upon " Lewis' Poems," is staid and professorial in its tone.}}

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) boech or (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=6 citation , passage=The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow , though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity.}}
    Synonyms
    * (of a ship) prow
    Antonyms
    * (of a ship) poop, stern
    Derived terms
    * bow shock * bow rudder

    See also

    * coll'arco * curtsy * kowtow * * * * * * *

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms English terms with multiple etymologies

    bower

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bedroom or private apartments, especially for a woman in a medieval castle.
  • * Gascoigne
    • Give me my lute in bed now as I lie, / And lock the doors of mine unlucky bower .
  • (literary) A dwelling; a picturesque country cottage, especially one that is used as a retreat.
    • (Shenstone)
  • A shady, leafy shelter or recess in a garden or woods.
  • * 1599 ,
    • say that thou overheard'st us,
    And bid her steal into the pleached bower ,
    Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by the sun,
    Forbid the sun to enter;
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=1 citation , passage=
  • (ornithology) A large structure made of grass and bright objects, used by the bower bird during courtship displays.
    • Synonyms
    *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To embower; to enclose.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (obsolete) To lodge.
    • (Spenser)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) boueer, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A peasant; a farmer.

    • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) Bauer.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Either of the two highest trumps in euchre.
    • Derived terms
    * best bower * left bower * right bower

    Etymology 4

    From the bow of a ship

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) A type of ship's anchor, carried at the bow.
  • One who bows or bends.
  • A muscle that bends a limb, especially the arm.
  • * Spenser
    • His rawbone arms, whose mighty brawned bowers / Were wont to rive steel plates and helmets hew.

    Etymology 5

    From bough, compare brancher.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete, falconry) A young hawk, when it begins to leave the nest.
    • (Webster 1913)